Hand puppets



July 1,1958 J, COTLER 2,840,950

HAND PUPPETS Filed March 15, 1957 L .EIg -Z. INJENTOR.

' JULES BUTLER ATTORNEY United States PatentOfiTice 2,846,950 Patented July 1, 1958 2,840,950 .HANDPUPPETS Jules CotlerjForest'liills', N. Y. .Application March .1s,19s.7,-:seria1 No. 646,249.

' 1 Claim. '(Cl; 46-7175) This invention relates generally to toys or amusement devices designed to interest and amuse small children and, more particularly, to a novelty mitten or glove for use by small children as a hand puppet.

The principal object of the invention is to provide a mitten or glove adapted to fit upon and hold to the hand of the child in a manner to leave the fingers free for actuating operative parts of the mitten, and having jaws or mouth members constructed with internal pockets for the fingers and thumb and rendered not only relatively movable but with inherent flexibility so that the shape of said members as well as their relative positions may be changed through a wide range; the structure being designed to permit the development of amusing effects.

Another object of the invention is to provide a mitten of this kind which will be so decorated that movement of the fingers or hands of a wearer, in the mitten, will effect movement of a figure picturized on the mitten or glove.

A further object of the invention is to provide a novelty mitten of this kind which is simple in construction and which can be manufactured and sold at a reasonable cost.

For further comprehension of the invention, and of the objects and advantages thereof, reference will be had to the following description and accompanying drawings, and to the appended claim in which the various novel features of the invention are more particularly set forth.

In the accompanying drawings forming a material part of this disclosure:

Fig. 1 is a central sectional view of a novelty mitten embodying one form of the invention showing by dash lines the hand of the operator therein, the jaws being partly open.

Fig. 2 is a front elevational view of a novelty mitten embodying a modification of the invention, the jaws being partly open.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged sectional view taken on the plane of the line 33 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is an enlarged detail plan view of the tongueshaped member of the mitten of Fig. 2.

Referring in detail to the drawings, in Fig. 1 a novelty mitten comprising the first form of the invention is shown. The mitten has a tubular or bag-like body 16 with a bifurcated end closed by a panel 17. The body is formed of suitable soft flexible fabric mitten material and is adapted to cover the fingers, hand and wrist of the wearer. The closure panel 17 is formed of flexible but stilt, densely compacted felt, cardboard or other suitable material.

The body is formed from the rectangular blank shown in Fig. 4. This blank has its bottom end edge out at the center thereof to provide a V-shaped portion with rounded outer edges, said V-shaped portion defining flaps 18 and 19 of equal dimensions. The opposite upper edge and the side edges of the blank are straight.

In forming the mitten, the blank is folded along its longitudinal centerline and the straight side edges placed in coinciding and superposed position. The. coinciding marginal or .side edges are then connected by a line of stitching, thereby forming the tubular or bag-like .body

of elongated ovalshape, is superposed over the upper ,or inner surfaces thereof, in. face-to-face relation, with 1 the rounded end edges of the panel and flaps coinciding. The coinciding end edges are, then fastened together by a continuous line of stitching '22, the remainder of the flaps and panel being unattached, thereby forming pockets 23 and 24 therebetween. The panel is longer than the diameter of the tubular body 16 and this fact together with the manner of its attachment to the flaps while the latter are spread apart and the stiffness of the material thereof tend to keep the flaps 18 and 19 in spaced apart condition, but the flexibility of the material of the panel is suflicient under pressure to permit it to be folded at its center in order to press the flaps together.

Preferably, the material of the panel 17 is of a red color and the material of the body 16 of a contrasting color, such as pink or blue, for example. Furthermore, the outer surface of the material constituting the body at the areas defining the flaps 18 and 19 is decorated or embellished to simulate the features of the head of a human being in caricature or the head of an animal. For example, flap 18 may be decorated with the eyes and mouth of a human being in caricature, and the flap 19 with the head of a pussy cat. When the mitten is so decorated, the flaps 18 and 19 constitute the jaws, of the head of the characters and the panel 17 the inner lining of the mouth of the characters pictured on the surface.

It will be understood that the remainder of the outer surface of the body 16 may be decorated or embellished with grotesque features of human beings or animals as desired in order to make the use of the mitten more amusing and interesting. The surface of the body lends itself readily to decoration with a variety of combinations of grotesque characters.

In using the mitten, the operator inserts his hand 25 into the open end of the body 16 so that his thumb is positioned in one pocket, for example pocket 23, and his fingers in the other pocket 24. The thumb and fingers are thus free to manipulate the flaps 18 and 19 constituting the jaws of the characters pictured on the surface of the body. By manipulating and distorting such jaws, some grotesque and extraordinary eifects can be produced on the face of the characters and also cause the jaws to open and close as if in the act of eating or biting.

The modification shown in Figs. 24 differs from the form of Fig. l in that the panel closure 17' is formed at its center with a circular opening 26 constituting a socket removably to receive the neck portion 27 of a tongue-shaped pneumatic bag 28. A reed 29 is mounted in the neck portion 27. When thus detachably supported, the bag extends radially and centrally between the jaws 18' and 19' in the path of closing movement thereof whereby the bag 28 is squeezed, effecting a crying noise which enhances the amusement and interest in the mitten.

In all other respects, the form of invention shown in Figs. 2-4 is similar to the form of Fig. 1 and similar reference numerals are used to indicate similar parts.

While I have illustrated and described the preferred embodiments of my invention, it is to be understood that I do not limit myself to the precise constructions herein disclosed and that various changes and modifications may be made within the scope of the invention as defined in the appended claim.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by United States Letters Patent is:

A novelty mitten comprising a tubular body of soft fabric material having a circular open end, the other end of the body being formed with opposed flap portions, with rounded peripheral edges, a panel extending across the space between the flap portions, said panel having rounded peripheral edges fastened to the edges of the flap portions, said panel being formed of flexible felt and being longer than the diameter of the body thereby normally holding said flap portions spaced apart, said panel having a central opening midway its ends, a pneumatie bag having a restricted neck portion supported in said opening and a reed in said restricted neck portion 4 whereby upon movement of the flap portions toward each other said bag will be squeezed actuating said reed for producing a sound.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

